The Worst Joke in the World

Mrs. Champney, a vivacious fifty‑year‑old, is preparing to leave the boarding house that has been her home for four years. As she packs, her longtime friends, Mrs. Maxwell and Mrs. Deane, watch the familiar surroundings disappear—her cherished trinkets, paintings, and even a peculiar black‑velvet kitten that holds a secret of her early marriage. Through gentle conversation, listeners glimpse a life rich with travel, family, and community work, all wrapped in the warmth of her “fairy‑godmother” reputation.

Yet the departure is not merely a change of scenery. A sudden, unexpected legal complication—referred to only as a “totally unforeseen contingency”—lurks on the horizon, threatening to upend the comfortable rhythm she has cultivated. As the story unfolds, the listener is invited to share in her bittersweet reflections, the humor of past mishaps, and the quiet courage she summons when faced with an uncertain future.